The director of the Venezuelan polling firm Grupo de Investigación Social Siglo XXI (GIS XXI), Jesse Chacón, said that approval for President Hugo Chávez is at about 70% today, 14 years after he won his first election.

Chacón said that despite Chávez’s struggles with his health and criticisms in the media, positive perceptions of his government among citizens have risen in recent months.

According to the latest National Barometer survey conducted by GIS XXI, from last December until January, approval for the president grew from 60.4% to 70.3%.

“It is a recognition of 14 years of continuous work by the president, who has given himself over to the people, and the people value him in this way,” Chacón said in an interview on Venezolana de Televisión.

For this monthly survey, which has a margin of error of 2%, the pollster interviewed 2,500 people between January 19 and 23.

The study asked various questions on different issues, including the recent Supreme Court decision to allow a delay of the swearing-in of the president. Chacón said that 63% of those surveyed agreed with the decision.

“The people understand that they chose President Chávez on October7, and that decision can’t be denied by any legal artifice,” he said.

Chacón emphasized that in the last 14 years, Venezuelans have experienced many different processes of change that have led to greater political maturity, something he said is demonstrated by the survey results.